Adjustable striker for turkey friction call

ABSTRACT

A turkey call striker is provided for producing sounds suitable to a hunter in hunting turkeys. The turkey call striker includes a striker shaft, a compression fitting, a first body, and a second body. The compression fitting is moveable along the shaft and the first and second bodies secure the compression fitting to the shaft. The location of the compression fitting and corresponding members determines the sound produced from the turkey call striker when struck across a striker plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to provisional application Ser. No. 61/304,188 filed Feb. 12, 2010, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to animal game calls. More specifically, but not exclusively, the invention relates to an adjustable striker for a friction call, such as a turkey call.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hunters have used game calls to assist in hunting game for many years. The game calls generally mimic or artificially create sounds corresponding to the game that the hunter is hunting. The game sounds may be produced by blowing air through or over an apparatus, by squeezing an apparatus adapted to produce a certain sound, by rattling multiple objects together, or by rubbing two or more objects together. The latter game calls may generally be referred to as friction calls.

Friction calls are often used in turkey hunting. Friction calls generally include the use of a striker and a plate. At one end of the striker is a handle, bell, or body member that can influence the sound produced. The striker is rubbed across the plate to produce a sound similar to one made by a turkey. However, the sound that can be produced from a particular friction call may be limited. On reason for this is that the length of the striker is usually fixed, which limits the pitch and tonal quality of sounds that can be produced.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved turkey friction call striker that can be adjusted to produce different pitches and sounds similar to the sounds made by a turkey or other game animal.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a principal object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for calling game.

It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus that allows a hunter to make a variety of sounds and pitches.

It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus that can be easily adjusted to create new tones, pitches, and sounds.

It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus that secures adjustable parts to a shaft to ensure the desired sound is obtained.

It is another object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus to assist in hunting turkey.

These and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The present invention is not to be limited to or by these objects, features and advantages.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a game call striker for use with a friction game call is provided. The game call striker comprises an elongated striker, a compression fitting, and a first and second body portion. The elongated striker has a first end and an opposite second end. The compression fitting is disposed around at least a portion of the striker shaft between the first and second ends of the shaft. The first body portion is positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting. The second body portion is positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting and opposing the first body portion. The first and second body portions are secured to one another with the compression fitting therebetween to bias the compression fitting against the striker shaft to secure the first and second body portions to a fixed position on the striker shaft.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of modifying a game call striker to produce different sounds with a friction game call is provided. The method includes providing an elongated striker shaft having a first end and an opposite second end, a compression fitting disposed around at least a portion of the striker shaft between the first and second ends of the striker shaft, a first body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting, and a second body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting and opposing the first body portion. The compression fitting is positioned at a desired location along the striker shaft. The first and second body portions are secured to one another with the compression fitting therebetween to bias the compression fitting against the striker shaft to secure the compression fitting and the first and second body portions about the desired location along the striker shaft.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of producing an animal game call having a desired tonal output is provided. The method includes taking a plate and an elongated striker shaft including a first end and an opposite second end, a compression fitting disposed around at least a portion of the striker shaft between the first and second ends of the striker shaft, a first body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting, and a second body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting and opposing the first body portion. The compression fitting is positioned at a desired location along the striker shaft. The first and second body portions are secured to one another with the compression fitting therebetween to bias the compression fitting against the striker shaft to secure the compression fitting and the first and second body portions about the desired location along the striker shaft. The plate is struck with the first end of the striker shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of an embodiment of the striker of the present invention near a striker plate used in conjunction with the striker.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention with the first body portion, second body portion, and compression fitting in a second position along the striker shaft.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the components of the present invention separated along the shaft of the striker.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the compression fitting of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the striker shaft with the compression fitting positioned thereon.

FIGS. 6A-6E are a collection of top views of another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a turkey game call striker 10 and striker plate 40 are provided. The turkey call striker 10 includes an elongated striker shaft 12, a compression fitting 18, a first body portion 20 and a second body portion 22. The striker shaft 12 includes a first end 14 and an opposite second end 16. The compression fitting 18 is positioned on the striker shaft 12, and the first body portion 20 and second body portion 22 are positioned about the compression fitting 18 on the striker shaft 12. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the compression fitting 18 is adapted to be moveable along the striker shaft 12 between the first end 14 and the second end 16 when the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are loosened about the compression fitting 18. The movability of the compression fitting 18 is accomplished by having a fitting with a discontinuous cross-section, as will be discussed below.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention similar to FIG. 1, but with the compression fitting 18, the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22, positioned at a different location along the striker shaft 12 than in FIG. 1. The location of the compression fitting 18, first body portion 20, and second body portion 22, will determine the amount of vibration, and thus, the pitch and tonal quality of the sound produced from the turkey call striker 10 when the striker is used in combination with a plate 40, which is known as a striker plate. The striking surface 42 of the plate includes a material, such as slate, aluminum, glass, or the like, which, when struck or drug across with the striker, creates a sound that is similar to the sound a turkey makes. The striking surface 42 is the only portion of the plate 40 that will produce a sound similar to a game sound when struck drug across by the striker 10.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the turkey call striker 10 with the first body portion 20 and second body portion 22 unsecured and separated from the compression fitting 18. The compression fitting 18 is generally circular, but includes a gap 24 making it discontinuous. The compression fitting 18 may also include a first tapered end 26 and a second tapered end 28. Because the compression fitting 18 is discontinuous, the fitting is able to slide or move along the striker shaft 12 of the turkey call striker 10 to be placed at a desired location by the user. The first body portion 20 as shown is generally bell shaped, with a hollow interior. The bell 34 of the first body portion 20 creates and enhances the sounds created by the turkey call striker 10. While the figures show the first body portion 20 having a generally bell shaped design, it should be appreciated that other designs and shapes may be used to create desired sounds. As is also shown in FIG. 3, the first body portion 20 may also include an external threaded portion 30. The external threaded portion 30 may have a diameter slightly larger than the first tapered end 26 of the compression fitting 18, so that the first body portion 20 may fit at least partially about the first tapered end 26 of the compression fitting 18.

The second body portion 22 is positioned on the striker shaft 12 at a location opposite the first body portion 20 about the compression fitting 18. For example, once the compression fitting 18 is positioned on the striker shaft 12, the first body portion 20 may be positioned from the second end 16 of the striker shaft 12, while the second body portion 22 may be positioned from the first end 14 of the striker shaft 12. The second body portion 22 may be adapted to receive both the compression fitting 18 and a portion of the first body portion 20. As is shown in the figures, the second body portion 22 may include an internal threaded portion 32 to receive the external threaded portion 30 of the first body portion 20. The threaded portions allow the first and second body portions to be secured to one another by mating the corresponding threading portions. The second body portion 22 may also be sized to receive at least partially a portion of the second tapered end 28 of the compression fitting 18.

The internal and external threaded portions 30,32 of the first body portion 20 and second body portion 22 are shown in greater detail in FIG. 6D. FIG. 6D also shows how the tapered ends 26,28 of the compression fitting 18 may be fit into the first and second body portions respectively.

To position and make the turkey game call, the compression fitting 18 is first positioned along the striker shaft 12 of the turkey call striker 10 at a desired location. The second body portion 22 is then positioned from the first end 14 of the striker shaft 12 to a position adjacent the compression fitting 18. The first body portion 20 is positioned on the striker shaft 12 from the second end 16 of the striker shaft 12 to a position adjacent the compression fitting 18 as well. The first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are then secured to one another to compress the compression fitting 18 about the striker shaft 12 of the turkey call striker 10. By compressing the compression fitting 18, the first body portion 20, second body portion 22, and compression fitting 18 will not be moveable from the desired position. It should be appreciated that the compression fitting 18 may be positionable while the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are still engaged, however. When the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are loosened, but still engaged, the compression fitting 18 will decompress, allowing the compression fitting 18, first body portion 20, and second body portion 22 to move and be positioned at a new location on the striker shaft 12. This allows a quick adjustment to be made to the turkey call striker 10 to produce the desired tonal quality and pitch.

While it is shown in the figures that the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are secured to one another by threading, it should be appreciated that other securing methods and means may be used. For example, the first body portion 20 and second body portion 22 may be sized to be frictionally fit within one another, or they may be secured by another means, but it may be desirable that the members are both removable and adjustable relative to one another. It should also be appreciated that the compression fitting 18 need not have tapered ends on both ends, and that only one tapered end may be required. Further, the compression fitting 18 need not have the gap 24 the entire length of the compression fitting 18.

FIG. 4 is a perspective top view of the compression fitting 18 of the turkey call striker 10. FIG. 4 further shows the first tapered end 26 of the compression fitting 18. Also shown in FIG. 4 is the gap 24 of the compression fitting 18, which allows the compression fitting 18 to be compressed about the striker shaft 12 to be secured on the striker shaft 12.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the striker shaft 12 with the compression fitting 18 positioned on said shaft. As is shown in FIG. 5, when the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are not secured about the compression fitting 18, the gap 24 of the compression fitting 18 is noticeable. Therefore, the compression fitting 18 is moveable along the striker shaft 12. While the striker shaft 12 includes a first end 14 and a second end 16, only the first end 14 is suitable for striking and producing sounds. Affixed to the second end 16 of the striker shaft 12 may be a plastic cap 36, as shown in FIGS. 6A-6E. The plastic cap 36 may be a polycarbonate plastic, or like material, which is not suitable for producing game call sounds when struck across a striking plate 40. Therefore, the first end 14 of the striker shaft 12 is the only end suitable to produce the desired sounds. While a plastic cap is mentioned, it should be appreciated that other caps and materials may be used for the second end 16 of the striker shaft 12. In addition, the second end 16 of the striker 10 may also be otherwise adapted such that it is not suitable to produce a game call sound when struck across the plate 40.

To produce a desirable game call sound with the turkey call striker 10, first the compression fitting 18 may be positioned on the striker shaft 12 at a desired position. When the compression fitting 18 has been positioned, the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are secured to one another with the compression fitting 18 between them to bias the compression fitting 18 against the striker shaft 12, thus securing the compression fitting 18 in the first and second body portions 20, 22 about the desired location along the striker shaft 12. The first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 may already be secured loosely, which would allow the compression fitting 18 to move and be positionable along the striker shaft 12. Once the proper position has been selected, the engagement of the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 may be tightened, thus tightening the compression fitting 18 to the striker shaft 12. If a greater portion of the striker shaft 12 between the first end 14 and the second body portion 22 is shown, the sound produced may be lower than if the compression fitting 18 is positioned closer to the first end 14 of the striker shaft 12. Once the members are positioned, a user may strike the first end 14 of the striker shaft 12 against a plate 40 to produce a sound suitable for hunting turkey. The sound may be adjusted by changing the position of the compression fitting 18 and other members to obtain a desirable sound.

It should be appreciated that in order to produce proper game call sounds with the striker 10 of the present invention, some trial and error is expected. Because the tonal sound will change with the changing position of the first and second body portions, a user may need to adjust the position frequently. Therefore, once a desired sound is obtained, it is contemplated that the user may mark or otherwise note the position of the components on the striker shaft 12 in order to be able to reproduce the desired sound quickly in case components have been moved since the last use.

FIGS. 6A-6E show another embodiment of the turkey call striker 10 of the present invention. The turkey call striker 10 of this embodiment includes an elongated shaft 12 having an opposite first and second end 14 and 16, a compression fitting 18, a first body portion 20, a second body portion 22, and a cap 36 affixed to the second end 16 of the striker shaft 12. As shown in FIG. 6, a limiting ring 38 is also affixed to the elongated striker shaft 12 at a position between the first end 14 and the second end 16 of the shaft. The limiting ring 38 is not moveable along the striker shaft 12, such that the compression fitting 18, first body portion 20, and second body portion 22 will not be removable from the striker shaft 12. Because the limiting ring 38 and the plastic cap 36 are fixed to the striker shaft 12, and also because they have a larger diameter than the diameters of the openings of the other members, the other members will not slip off the striker shaft, even if the first body portion 20 and the second body portion 22 are fully disengaged from one another.

The addition of the cap 36 and limiting ring 38 also limit the orientation that the striker 10 can be used to make a game call sound. As described above, the cap 36 is comprised of such a material that it will not produce a desired game call sound when struck across a plate 40. Therefore, only the first end 14 may be used with the plate 40 to produce a game call. In addition, the limiting ring 38 may be positioned at an predetermined location on the striker shaft away from the first end 14 such that no appropriate game call sound would be obtained if the compression fitting 18, first body portion 20 and second body portion 22 were positioned any closer to the first end 14. The limited amount of movement along the shaft may indicate the ideal portion of the shaft 12 along which the components should be moved to obtain a desirable game call sound.

The invention has been shown and described above with reference to the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. The invention is only to be limited by claims pended hereto. 

1. A game call striker for use with a friction game call having the advantage of being easily adjustable in effective length to produce different sounds, the striker comprising: an elongated striker shaft having a first end and an opposite second end; a compression fitting disposed around at least a portion of the striker shaft between the first and second ends of the striker shaft; a first body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting; and a second body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting and opposing the first body portion; wherein the first and second body portions are secured to one another with the compression fitting therebetween to bias the compression fitting against the striker shaft to secure the first and second body portions to a fixed position on the striker shaft.
 2. The game call striker of claim 1 wherein the compression fitting has a discontinuous cross section that does not completely surround the striker shaft.
 3. The game call striker of claim 2 wherein the compression fitting has a tapered end adapted to contact the first and second body members.
 4. The game call striker of claim 2 wherein the compression fitting has first and second tapered ends respectfully adapted to contact the first and second body members.
 5. The game call striker of claim 1 wherein the first and second body members are adjustably engaged to each other.
 6. The game call striker of claim 5 wherein the first and second body members are threadably engaged to each other.
 7. The game call striker of claim 1 wherein the first body member has a bell shape with a hollow interior.
 8. The game call striker of claim 1 wherein the first and second body members are removably secured to each other.
 9. The game call striker of claim 1 wherein the first and second body members are adjustably secured to each other.
 10. The game call striker of claim 1 further comprising a limiting ring positioned on the striker shaft between the first and second ends of the shaft, wherein the limiting ring prohibits travel of the compression fitting past the position of the limiting ring on the shaft.
 11. The game call striker of claim 10 further comprising a cap positioned at the second end of the striker shaft.
 12. The game call striker of claim 11 wherein the limiting ring and cap define a portion of the striker shaft in which the compression fitting, first body member, and second body member can be moved along to provide various tonal outputs.
 13. The game call of claim 11 wherein the cap is a plastic cap.
 14. A method of modifying a game call striker to produce different sounds with a friction game call comprising: providing an elongated striker shaft having a first end and an opposite second end, a compression fitting disposed around at least a portion of the striker shaft between the first and second ends of the striker shaft, a first body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting, and a second body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting and opposing the first body portion; positioning the compression fitting at a desired location along the striker shaft; and securing the first and second body portions to one another with the compression fitting therebetween to bias the compression fitting against the striker shaft to secure the compression fitting and the first and second body portions about the desired location along the striker shaft.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first body portion includes an external threaded portion and the second body portion includes an internal threaded portion.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of securing the first and second body portions to another comprises mating the external and internal threaded portions of the bodies to one another.
 17. A method of producing an animal game call having a desired tonal output, the method comprising: taking a plate; taking an elongated striker shaft including a first end and an opposite second end, a compression fitting disposed around at least a portion of the striker shaft between the first and second ends of the striker shaft, a first body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting, and a second body portion positioned on the striker shaft adjacent the compression fitting and opposing the first body portion; positioning the compression fitting at a desired location along the striker shaft; securing the first and second body portions to one another with the compression fitting therebetween to bias the compression fitting against the striker shaft to secure the compression fitting and the first and second body portions about the desired location along the striker shaft; and striking the plate with the first end of the striker shaft.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the striker shaft includes a limiting ring positioned on the shaft between the first and second ends, and a cap positioned at the second end of the shaft.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the compression fitting is positioned between the limiting ring and the cap on the striker shaft.
 20. The method of claim 17 further comprising moving the compression fitting, first body portion, and second body portion along the striker shaft to change the tonal output produced by the striker when striking the plate. 